Sports Officials Care

There is a shortage of officials in baseball. soccer. football. hockey. basketball.
We are here to make a difference.

Do Your Part

Universal Challenges

Shortage of Officials Impacting Youth Sports

Every day, games and tournaments are being canceled because there is a massive shortage of officials in all sports. Why is this happening?

Officials have long faced verbal abuse, but in some cases, they have been victims of physical abuse, and this cycle has led to officials leaving the industry. The COVID pandemic didn’t help matters, either. But without officials, there are no youth sports.

The Problem in Sports

At Sports Officials Care, we recognize this crisis, and are working to make youth sports a better place for everyone – coaches, players, parents and officials.

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Low Retention Rates for New Officials

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Mistreatment of Officials

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Lack of New People Interested in Becoming an Official

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%

Less officials than in 2020

Needed Change

Officials Are Human Too

Officials are constantly being targeted and ridiculed. Now with social media, the hate carries on after the game. This is not okay and needs to change.

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Officials Affected

55+

The average age of a youth official is 55 and older

"Shrinking pay, age, abuse among factors driving referees away in public high schools” - USA Today

Did You Know?

There is a desperate need for youth sports officials!

22

states have criminalized attacks and harassment of officials

"Major League Baseball umpires raise their voices for the safety of Connecticu officials” - Hartford Courant

50,000+

Referees and umpires who have left youth sports since 2018/2019

"Bad Behavior Drove a Referee Shortage” - New York Times

55%

of officials rank verbal & physical abuse from coaches & spectators as the #1 reason officials quit

"Referee shortage in youth sports blamed partly on verbal abuse from parents, coaches” - WXYZ Detroit

Get Involved

Join the Movement

Become a part of the solution instead of the problem. Whether you are an official or not, it’s our job to band together and provide a safe space throughout youth sports.

Become a Founding Supporter

Donate to the Movement

Host a Fundraising Event

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Make A Difference

Host a Fundraising Event

Submit the form below on your idea for hosting a fundraiser and we will be in touch shortly! Thank you for joining us in supporting our officials.

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SPORTS OFFICIALS CARE

News & Events

Sports Officials Care Teams Up With Refr Sports

Feb 17, 2026

Sports Officials Care, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization committed to uniting sports officials from all sports, educating teens and giving back, is proud to announce it is partnering with Refr Sports – a scheduling platform used by referees, assignors, tournament...

10-year-old football fan has the NFL Referees Association to thank for making his Super Bowl dream a reality

Feb 3, 2026

“I still can’t believe his first NFL game will be the Super Bowl, I just thought I would try the (Sports Officials Care charity) raffle. I’m so happy for him.”Every morning, a 10-year-old boy named Solomon – known by everyone as Solli – grabs his football and football...

Sports officials serve up food and joy to residents and patients at the Ronald McDonald House in Indianapolis

Dec 10, 2025

Professional sports officials took time out to serve food and lots of joy to residents and patients at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana. Shout out to representatives from our partners at RefReps- retired NFL referee Mark Baltz, Caleb Lovelace,...